Procedural Steps and Drafting an Initiative Were Key Issues Covered in the First Webinar on the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI)

The ECI is the the first transnational participatory democracy tool for citizens, not only in Europe, but worldwide. To help make the process of organising an ECI as accessible and simple for citizens, last month ECAS hosted the first of a series of webinars, which are being held in the framework of the ECI Forum – a platform designed to offer support to ECI organisers, and a pilot project operated by ECAS, ESN and CARSA on behalf of and under contract to the European Commission.

During the first interactive webinar on the ECI, ECAS’ Digital Democracy Manager Elisa Lironi explained the procedural steps and instructions on how to draft an initiative, and our guest speaker André Ménache shared his experience of organising the successful campaign Stop Vivisection.

“Using the ECI is not always easy for several reasons. However, it remains the first and only European transnational tool for participatory democracy which allows citizens to put what they care about on the EU agenda. Our first webinar’s goal was to give an overview of the ECI and mainly, to explain what potential organisers would have to do in order to have their initiative registered by the Commission before starting the collection of signatures. Although this might seem like a hurdle, the ECI Forum is there to provide support by giving potential organisers legal advice before they submit their initiative”, Lironi explains.

Missed the webinar? Feel free to consult our guidance notes which offer more detailed help on drafting an initiative, looking for partners, campaigning, fundraising and much more. You can also read our success stories, documenting the experiences of the initiatives that managed to gather more than one million signatures, including lessons learned by past organisers, and recommendations for future organisers.

If you still have questions related to your initiative, do not hesitate to ask for specific support and assistance in the Seek Advice page: be ready to receive tailor-made information and expert answers to your enquiries! This includes legal, campaigning and fundraising advice and help on any other relevant topics.

Background
This was the first of a series of webinars on the ECI, which all look at the important aspects of organising, running and securing support for an initiatives. All webinars include interpretation in multiple languages. You can also download a PowerPoint presentation in English.

Stay tuned for more information about the second ECI webinar in September 2018, which will be on “How to Find Partners”.

Are you planning to launch a European Citizens’ Initiative, or are you currently promoting one? Or perhaps you are simply interested in discussing potential citizens’ initiatives?The ECI Forum is a space for you to get practical information and advice about the European Citizens’ initiative, and to discuss any topics related to it.This platform is a pilot project, operated by a consortium of three organisations – ESN, ECAS and CARSA – on behalf of and under contract to the European Commission.